Random new word of the day

[skylee]

Apparently, the 哈 character stands for a Manchu word "hadaba" which stands for flattery.

Could you give more information on this please?

[renzhe]

All I know is what I read on wikipedia.

Obviously, the 哈 is used phonetically for the first syllable of the Manchu word, not for the whole thing.

[chrix]

I think there will be no consensus on this. "ha" is just too simple, it could come from anything.

[Don_Horhe]

“哈”源于台湾青少年文化的流行用语，意指“非常想要得到，近乎疯狂程度”，像“我很哈你”，就是代表“我疯狂想要得到你”。“哈日”、“哈韩”是近年兴起的时髦词汇。它最早来自台湾，指的是盲目崇尚、追逐、模仿日本时尚的流行文化。“哈日”一词，本是闽南方言，意思是被太阳光毒晒中暑，意指中了“太阳毒”。“哈日族”、“哈韩族”就是指一群狂热追求日本和韩国流行娱乐文化，连穿着打扮、思想行为都仿效的人。

This is what a Chinese friend helped me find on the issue.

[skylee]

It is just that it is not obvious at all (at least not to me).

[chrix]

Yes, I think I've heard that a lot in regard to Taiwan actually, but your link doesn't really say/speculate what language this "ha" comes from, does it?

skylee: there's a semantic relation between a Manchu word "hadaba" meaning flatter and how ha is used now. It could have something to do with the Qing rule or something. But for this we would need documentation that it arose indeed in the Qing era. If it came up in Taiwan, then it becomes quite strenuous to argue that it came from Manchu. Also from a linguistic point of view, "ha" is just too simple, there are too many other possibilities, among which the shortening of "hadaba" would be one, but not necessarily the strongest...

[Don_Horhe]

No, not really. She's not certain herself.

[renzhe]

It does seem a bit strange that a Manchu word would surface in Taiwan. A Minnanese connection does seem more plausible.

I was just going with the info I found on the wiki, which can be unreliable.

The "obvious" was under the assumption that it does indeed come from Manchurian. It was a bit poorly worded on my part.

Edited February 19, 2010 at 03:31 PM by renzhe

[chrix]

Just inspired by the Prince of Egypt thread: 引領, I think it's a nice example of polysemy and why you need to study words not just characters:

1. crane one'e neck

2. lead (used in the song for "Deliver us")

[Daan]

蠶 cán 'silkworm'. Somehow I'd never seen this word before.

(As to 哈: I seem to remember being given a quite convincing explanation of its etymology by my teacher a few months ago, but I can't recall it right now. I'll ask her again on Monday.)

[chrix]

There might be other words for it, but in this article on the Austin plane crash incident I found this word used for "bail-out": 紓困 shu1kun4

[jbradfor]

蠟燭 (蜡烛) là zhú candle

氣球 qì qiú balloon

We put on some "Mandarin for kids" DVD we got from the library for our 2-year old to watch, and I was pretty embarrassed to find these two words on them I didn't know. I partially redeemed myself by guessing the characters for balloon based on the pinyin; Balloon is "air" "ball". Isn't Chinese easy? [For the record, I had no idea of the characters for candle, don't recall ever seeing them before.]

[chrix]

躉船 dǔnchuán - "wharfboat, pontoon"

[jbradfor]

人口普查表 -- census.

Or at least that was the phrase used in the census form I received today. [Actually, strictly speaking, it wasn't the census form. It was a letter from the census telling me that I am going to receive the form soon. Now that's a good use of taxpayer money!]

[skylee]

人口普查表 -- census.

A census exercise is 人口普查. To conduct census is 進行人口普查.

[renzhe]

千金 = daughter

[renzhe]

和 = hú = to win (in majiang or a card game)

Leave it to 武林外传 to confuse me with 和... Bless them.

[chrix]

黨八股: "Party jargon"

[trien27]

栖

qī or xī

perch [of birds]; dwell; stay.

Source: http://www.afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Tangshi&no=90&s=5

Source: http://www.nciku.com/search/all/%E6%A0%96

[trien27]

子虚

[Literary] fictitious; unreal